Floor supporting framework

ABSTRACT

A floor supporting framework particularily for use in factories, pig houses and such buildings. The floor supporting frame has a rectangular peripheral frame, a number of parallel upper tensioned elements mounted between anchorage members on the peripheral frame, a number of curved lower tensioned elements below the upper tensioned elements also mounted between anchorage members on the peripheral frame. A rigid lattice beam is connected between the upper and lower tensioned elements and it causes the upper tensioned element to curve upwardly between its anchorage members.

United States Patent [191 Gilchrist [451 May 13, 1975 1 FLOOR SUPPORTING FRAMEWORK [76] Inventor: Timothy Michael Gilchrist, Mavis Bank, Newrath, Waterford, Ireland [22] Filed: June 14, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 369,935

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 19, 1972 Ireland 854/72 [52] US. Cl 52/226; 52/648 [51] Int. Cl. E04c 3/26 [58] Field of Search 52/83, 226, 231, 240, 291, 52/414, 648, 691

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 700,443 5/1902 Ruhl 52/231 1,160,155 11/1915 Eldred 52/226 2,183,451 12/1939 Forster 52/226 X 2,415,461 2/1947 Causey 52/691 X 9/1961 Maculan 52/240 3,601,944 8/1971 Shepherd 52/83 3,621,624 11/1971 Gustafson 52/226 3,643,391 2/1972 Mollinger 52/83 Primary ExaminerAlfred C. Perham Attorney, Agent, or FirmKurt Kelman ABSTRACT A floor supporting framework particularily for use in factories, pig houses and such buildings. The floor supporting frame has a rectangular peripheral frame, a number of parallel upper tensioned elements mounted between anchorage members on the peripheral frame, a number of curved lower tensioned elements below the upper tensioned elements also mounted between anchorage members on the peripheral frame. A rigid lattice beam is connected between the upper and lower tensioned elements and it causes the upper tensioned element to curve upwardly between its anchorage members.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED MAY 1 31575 SHEET 10? 2 PATENTED MAY 1 3 I875 SHEET 2.

FLOOR SUPPORTING FRAMEWORK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention The present invention relates to a floor supporting framework. The invention particularily relates to buildings used for the intensive rearing of young domestic animals and factories and other buildings that require that the floors be easily cleaned.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the past decade or so considerable strides have been made in the rearing of domestic animals for example chickens, cows and pigs in confined spaces. Many of these buildings in which the animals are reared are multi-storey buildings. It is important that the floors of such buildings be easily cleaned. The floors of factories, storage areas, stables, pig houses and other buildings of more conventional construction where livestock and the like animals are housed, are subject, in many countries, to stringent health regulations which require that the floors be readily and easily cleaned. Quite often these floors are of an openwork construction to allow for efficient drainage after washing. Where the floors are of openwork construction it is often necessary to provide a very expensive floor supporting framework which must of itself be of open frame construction.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed towards providing an improved construction of floor supporting framework and particularly one suitable for use with floors of the type described. This and further objects will become apparent on reading this Specification.

SUMMARY According to the invention there is provided a floor supporting framework comprising:

a rigid, twodimensional, self-supporting peripheral frame;

a plurality of first anchorage members on the peripheral frame;

a plurality of upper tensioned elements mounted between the first anchorage members;

a plurality of second anchorage members on the peripheral frame;

a plurality of curved lower tensioned elements mounted between the second anchorage members and below the upper tensioned elements: and

a rigid load transferring member connected between the upper and lower tensioned elements to cause each upper tensioned element to be flexed upwardly between the first anchorage members.

In one embodiment of the invention the upper tensioned elements and the lower tensioned elements are mutually parallel. Preferably the peripheral frame is a rectangular frame.

The main advantage of the present invention is that a floor supporting framework is provided which does not cover a considerable amount of the floor area and which at the same time is efficient in use. The floor supporting framework of the present invention combines the advantages of the use of tensioned elements to support the floor without their inherent disadvantages when used in one plane only. If tensioned, elements are used in one plane only, i.e. without the lower tensioned elements of this invention, the resultant longitudinal tensile force generated by a load is inversely proportional to the magnitude of the deflection or sag. Accordingly, if the tensioned elements are so pretensioned as to have little deflection or sag under load the resultant longitudinal tensile force puts an undue stress on the surrounding framework of the building.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa multi-span floor supporting framework according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrows II-II of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrows III-III of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view, similar to FIG. 2, of a simple floor construction,

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view, similar to FIG. 2 of a floor supporting framework according to the invention showing the floor supporting framework prior to application of a load, and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG. 2, showing the floor supporting framework on application of a load.

Referring to the drawings, there is provided a multispan floor structure comprising a number of floor supporting frameworks namely two end supporting frameworks indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 and intermediate floor supporting frameworks, indicated generally by the reference numeral 2. Only one of the intermediate floor supporting frameworks 2 is illustrated fully.

The intermediate floor supporting framework 2 comprises a peripheral frame formed from a pair of intermediate anchorage beams 3 and portion of a pair of parallel longitudinal beams 4. A plurality of substantially parallel upper tensioned elements 5 are mounted between first anchorage members formed by anchorage members 6 on the intermediate anchorage beams 3: the anchorage members 6 are conventional clamps. The individual clamps may, needless to say, be replaced by a continuous bar clamp extending the full length of each intermediate anchorage beam 3. A number of curved substantially parallel lower tensioned elements 7 are mounted between intermediate anchorage beams 3 below the upper tensioned elements 5. The upper tensioned elements 5 and the lower tensioned elements 7 are high tensile steel bars. A rigid load transferring member, indicated generally by the reference numeral 8, connects the lower tensioned elements 7 and the upper tensioned elements 5. The rigid load transferring member 8 is a rigid lattice beam (see FIG. 3) and comprises an upper bar 9, a lower bar 10, two vertical end side bars 11, intermediate bars 12 and reinforcing struts 3. Each lower tensioned element 7 projects through a hole in the intermediate anchorage beam 3 and is tensioned by means ofa nut 14 which engages a screw thread 15 cut on its free end; the nut 14 can obviously be used to adjust the tension in the lower tensioned element 7. The nut 14 and its associated hole forms a second anchorage member for the lower tensioned element 7.

Each end floor supporting framework 1 is substantially similar to each intermediate floor supporting framework 2 except that the end floor supporting framework 1 is formed by a peripheral intermediate anchorage beam 3 portion of two of the longitudinal beams 4 and an end anchorage beam 16. Each upper tensioned element 5 projects through the end anchorage beam 16 and is tensioned by means of a nut 17 on a thread 18 cut in the free end of the upper tensioned element 5. Needless to say prior to tensioning the upper tensioned elements 5 they are not secured to the inter: mediate anchorage members. The nut 17 and its associated hole in the anchorage beam 16 forms one of the first anchorage members for an upper tensionedelement 5: the other is formed by an anchorage member Any suitable floor covering may then be secured on top of the floor supporting framework. With pigs and other animals, panels of weldmesh expanded metal,

or slats of plastics material are particularly useful.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a diagrammatic view in the direction of the arrows IIII of the floor supporting framework. In FIG. 5 the floor supporting framework is shown prior to the imposition of a load while FIG. 6 illustrates the floor supporting framework under load. FIG. 4- illustrates a simple floor supporting framework, for clarity this simple floor supporting framework has been illustrated using the same reference numerals as that for the floor supporting framework of the present invention. The operation of the floor supporting framework will be more clearly understood from consideration of these FIGS. 4 to 6 inclusive. Referring initially to'FIG. 4, when a load is imposed on a simple floor supporting framework formed from a number of parallel upper tensioned elements 5 all lying initially in the one horizontal plane the floor supporting framework will sag causing a negative deflection -D: the magnitude of this deflection is exaggerated in FIGS. 4 and 5. It is pos-' sible to ensure that the floor supporting framework will not sag however, to resist even this slight negative deflection -D a large tensile stress would have to be imparted to the upper tensioned elements 5. This tensile stress would be so large as to cause relatively large forces on the surrounding structures supporting the floor supporting framework. Accordingly such a simple construction of floor supporting framework cannot be maintained level and will, of necessity, be subject to some negative deflection.

Referring to FIG. 5 in view of the fact that the lower tensioned elements are now provided and are under tension the upper tensioned elements 5 have now a positive deflection +D imparted to them. Referring to FIG. 6 when a load L is applied to the floor supporting framework the upper tensioned elements 5 sag somewhat and become substantially horizontal. There is a consequent increase in tensile stress in the lower tensioned element 7. However, in view of the fact that the lower tensioned element 7 is considerably curved the increase in stress is relatively negligible. That this is so will be readily apparent to those who have made a study of caternaries under load. The lower tensioned element 7 operates in substantially the same way as a I caternary of the same curvature.

For example a cable suspended at each end and subjected to a superimposed load,

Theresultant longitudinal tensile force generated by superimposed loading of the cable is obtained from '7 P Constant is relatively small.

Further the rigid load transferring member Sreduces the effective total span of each upper tensionedelement 5 therefore any tensile force imparted. tothe upper tensioned elements is further reduced as'theten;

sile force is proportional tothe square of the span .(see formula B),-thus the totaldeflection of the upper tensioned elements 5 is negligible.

Reference .Formulaes for Stress and Strain by. R. In

Roark..

shown may be used to tension the upper tensioned; elements and the lower tensioned elements may be pro 1 vided. For example, the use of turnbuckles .isparticu larly advantageous.

While the embodiment described above illustrates a' floor supporting framework in which there is one layer of substantially parallel upper tensioned elements it will be appreciated that a second layer of substantially parallel upper tensioned elements maybe provided the may be provided.

It will be appreciated that the upper tensionedjel'ements need not be mutually parallel. Nor needless to say must the lowertensioned elements be mutually parallel. However, in practice it will be foundmore conve nient to so arrange them. Similarly the lowertensionecl 7 elements need not be parallel to the upper tensioned elements.

I claim:

1. A floor supporting framework which. comprises in,

combination:

A. a rigid self-supportingperipheral frame defined by four joining beam members,

B. a plurality of first and second anchorage members disposed on opposing beam members of said frame, i i

C. a plurality of firsttensioned elements mounted in a plane between the first anchorage members, said first tensioned elements disposed to support a floor 1 surface,

D. a plurality of second tensioned elements mounted between the second anchorage members, I

E. a rigid load transferring frame defined lby' fou r joining latticebeams disposed intermediate the first tensioned elements and the second tensioned,

elements, said rigid load transferring frame disposed within the said peripheral frame between opposing beam members opposite that containing said first and second anchorage members, and

F. a plurality of rigid intermediate anchorage beams. each disposed between a rigid load transferring member and said beam members containing said first and second anchorage members, saidqintermediate anchorage beams being positioned within the It will be 'appreciated that, means other than those 2 in which the peripheral frame is a rectangular frame.

4. A floor supporting framework as recited in claim 2 in which the upper tensioned elements and the lower tensioned elements are high tensile steel rods.

5. A floor supporting framework as recited in claim l in which the peripheral frame is a rectangular frame having two longitudinal beams and two anchorage beams interconnecting the longitudinal beams, the anchorage beams carrying the anchorage members, and a plurality of 'the rigid load transferring members affixed to the longitudinal beams.

6. A floor supporting framework as recited in claim 5 wherein the load transferring members extend substantially parallel to the anchorage beams and the tensioned elements extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal beams.

7. A floor supporting framework as recited in claim 1 wherein the load transferring member is affixed to the frame. 

1. A floor supporting framework which comprises in combination: A. a rigid self-supporting peripheral frame defined by four joining beam members, B. a plurality of first and second anchorage members disposed on opposing beam members of said frame, C. a plurality of first tensioned elements mounted in a plane between the first anchorage members, said first tensioned elements disposed to support a floor surface, D. a plurality of second tensioned elements mounted between the second anchorage members, E. a rigid load transferring frame defined by four joining lattice beams disposed intermediate the first tensioned elements and the second tensioned elements, said rigid load transferring frame disposed within the said peripheral frame between opposing beam members opposite that containing said first and second anchorage members, and F. a plurality of rigid intermediate anchorage beams each disposed between a rigid load transferring member and said beam members containing said first and second anchorage members, said intermediate anchorage beams being positioned within the said peripheral frame between opposing beam members opposite that containing said first and second anchorage members, means disposed on said intermediate anchorage beams for anchorage of said first tensioned elements, said second tensioned elements being disposed through said intermediate anchorage beams.
 2. A floor supporting framework as recited in claim 1 in which the upper tensioned elements and the lower tensioned elements are mutually parallel.
 3. A floor supporting framework as recited in claim 2 in which the peripheral frame is a rectangular frame.
 4. A floor supporting framework as recited in claim 2 in which the upper tensioned elements and the lower tensioned elements are high tensile steel rods.
 5. A floor supporting framework as recited in claim 1 in which the peripheral frame is a rectangular frame having two longitudinal beams and two anchorage beams interconnecting the longitudinal beams, the anchorage beams carrying the anchorage members, and a plurality of the rigid load transferring members affixed to the longitudinal beams.
 6. A floor supporting framework as recited in claim 5 wherein the load transferring members extend substantially parallel to the anchorage beams and the tensioned elements extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal beams.
 7. A floor supporting framework as recited in claim 1 wherein the load transferring member is affixed to the frame. 